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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Can't think of the right word. #210107 03/25/2013 4:03 PM Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4 Vermont, USA KathleenRose stranger KathleenRose stranger Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4 Vermont, USA A friend of mine asked me this question and I can't for the life of me think of the word. Do you happen to know if such a word exists? "...what would be the term one would use if someone made a statement where they generalized like saying 'why doesn't ANYONE do such and such?' when they clearly do not mean everyone but are just positing it as a proposition in general and are speaking to everyone but meaning some people?" I appreciate any light you can shed. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. KathleenRose #210108 03/25/2013 4:10 PM Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water Interesting and thought provoking. WELCOME ----please, draw me a sheep---- Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. KathleenRose #210109 03/25/2013 4:56 PM Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Welcome! /waves from Vermont formerly known as etaoin... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. Buffalo Shrdlu #210110 03/25/2013 5:02 PM Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4 Vermont, USA KathleenRose stranger KathleenRose stranger Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4 Vermont, USA *waves back from the Capitol* Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. KathleenRose #210112 03/26/2013 12:03 AM Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Originally Posted By: KathleenRose *waves back from the Capitol* Maybe I'll see you at Charlie-Os! formerly known as etaoin... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. KathleenRose #210113 03/26/2013 2:26 AM Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,554 Lower Aberdeen, Mississippi jenny jenny veteran jenny jenny veteran Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,554 Lower Aberdeen, Mississippi Hi KathleenRose, In general your example is a rhetorical question. As to a specific name for the act of asking a rhetorical question to everyone while the intent is to direct the question to a few, there is no such English word. I don't think. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. jenny jenny #210119 03/26/2013 8:00 PM Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4 Vermont, USA KathleenRose stranger KathleenRose stranger Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4 Vermont, USA Thanks jenny jenny. That does make sense. My thought was that it seems very passive aggressive. Rhetorical passive aggression? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. KathleenRose #210120 03/26/2013 8:44 PM Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont snarky? formerly known as etaoin... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. KathleenRose #210130 03/27/2013 12:28 PM Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4 Vermont, USA KathleenRose stranger KathleenRose stranger Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4 Vermont, USA I'm pretty sure it's something more technical. My friend did not agree with the rhetorical description. That may be because the question posed was meant as an example and did not contain specifics. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. KathleenRose #210132 03/27/2013 3:05 PM Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water Ask your friend for some specifics. ----please, draw me a sheep---- Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. KathleenRose #210134 03/27/2013 3:12 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass I think it's a kind of synecdoche; that is, a metaphor or figure of speech by which the whole is put for a part (or vice-versa) - in this case, everyone for just a few. or.. "Why doesn't anyone ever recognize Clark Kent?" (old TV/movie trope) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. tsuwm #210149 03/28/2013 8:28 PM Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,075 Lancaster, UK Rhubarb Commando old hand Rhubarb Commando old hand Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,075 Lancaster, UK Yes, synechdote was my first thought - but I wonder if metonymy isn't nearer? Using the name of an object or attribute to signify something greater - e.g. "the Crown" when you are speking of the sovereign. "The Greek Navy could muster nearly 200 sail" meaning they had getting on for 200 ships. etc. etc. I'm immortal until proven otherwise Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. KathleenRose #210522 04/19/2013 6:25 PM Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 1 JEM stranger JEM stranger Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 1 Is there a word for a word which is an example of itself? For example, "is" is; "something" is something; "Mispelled" is misspelled. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Can't think of the right word. JEM #210523 04/19/2013 7:47 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass the worthless word for the day is: autological [fr. Gk autos, self + logos, word] self-descriptive, self-referential used to refer to words such as polysyllabic, English, pronounceable, common, olde, noun, word (compare heterological) "If it seems questionable to include hyphenated words, we can use two terms invented specially for this paradox: autological (="self-descriptive"), and heterological (= "non-self-descriptive")." - Douglas Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach (1979) "The question is: Is the word "heterological" auto- logical or heterological? If it's autological, then it's heterological. If it's heterological, then it's autological. Ha! Ha!" - Cathcart & Klein, Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar (2007) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. 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